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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22446484">Warriors</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xeveningx/pseuds/xeveningx'>xeveningx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>D. Gray-man</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Oneshot, SI OC - Freeform, don't know where this is gonna go honestly, multiple OCs - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:41:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,410</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22446484</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xeveningx/pseuds/xeveningx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Where the four horsemen bound to bring upon the world its destruction wish nothing but to save it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Warriors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just a little something. Who knows where it will go from here. Maybe somewhere, maybe nowhere. Only time will tell, I suppose.<br/>Also, the lyrics are from 'Warriors' by Imagine Dragons but the one I based this oneshot on is from 2WEI and Edda Hayes.</p>
<p>Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>|Warriors|</b>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> As a child you would wait </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> And watch from far away </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> But you always knew that you'd be the one </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> That work while they all play</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>She waited patiently. </p>
<p>Perhaps far longer than she should have. But the brunette knew that for as cryptic as her friend was, he would never relay false information. </p>
<p>So she sat atop an old oak trunk amidst the woods as night shrouded her surroundings, creeping closer but never quite close enough to touch. Even in that darkness, the bright scarlet of the cloak she wore could be seen through the faint light of the moon that peeked from between the canopy. Its hood was pulled over her head, covering her face while ruby red eyes stared idly at her feet and she drew nonsensical drawings and gibberish on the loose dirt beneath her.</p>
<p>The breaking of dry branches and crunching of dead leaves became a dead giveaway that rewarded her patience at last. Lifting her gaze from the floor, demonic machinery noisily trudged its way from the trees towards her. Behind them, leading them like a pack of wolves, was a larger, much more threatening figure. More humanoid. </p>
<p>His information hadn’t been wrong after all. </p>
<p>“A human? Here?” Its silky voice reverberated in the dead silence of the woods. Calmly, ruby red stood from its perch, hands steady by her sides as her hood cocooned her. The monster—<em> an Akuma, she knew </em>—guffawed making its jaw split open menacingly. “What a fine snack you’ll make.” </p>
<p>No warning was given. None ever was. </p>
<p>With a commanding sweep of its arm, the Level 3 sent the peons after her. Ruby red remained calm even as they approached. She kept a steady hand at her side, her fingers curling back behind her. </p>
<p>Not a finger was moved out of time. </p>
<p>With swiftness that no eyes could catch, her gloved hands grasped the suitcase that she carried behind her, latched to her belt. A press of a button and a firm jolt of her arm gave way to the machinery that laid within it. Gears and latches moved, undid, and turned simultaneously with a <em> click-clack-clock </em> and uncanny speed. Before the monsters could even stop themselves, they each ran into the scorching bullets fired off by her assembled semi-automatic rifle. Its gears finally latched into place as the smoke lingered in her barrel and the Akuma exploded behind her. </p>
<p>Ruby red faced the Level 3 but didn’t see it charge towards her. It cackled, certain it had caught her off guard but she took a deep breath, blinked— </p>
<p>And rewound.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> In youth you'd lay </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Awake at night and scheme </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Of all the things that you would change </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> But it was just a dream </em>
</p>
<p>“Damn things.” </p>
<hr/>
<p>Gleaming amethyst lilac eyes glared at the hoard of Akuma that invaded the small town that was now laid to waste by the mechanical monsters’ path of destruction and her inability to stop them.</p>
<p>Her mission was simple: Get to the rendezvous point. No sidetracking or sightseeing. </p>
<p>But damn her bloody bleeding heart for caring about people and making her believe she could fight this alone. Damn it to hell and back. </p>
<p>Now, not even with the power this damn world and its God had given her was she able to save the innocent that could not fend for themselves against this evil. Inhaling rapidly to catch any air she could, the weight around her legs—<em> always there, so, so heavy </em>—didn’t impede her from jumping towards the source of the deadly poisonous bullets that soared through the scorching sky aimed at what remained of the already broken town. </p>
<p>They weighed her down. Each kick made their presence more noticeable. More overwhelming. But this power allowed her to do something. It made her useful. </p>
<p>And by this damned God of theirs, she would fight with her dying breath to overcome this. She always did.</p>
<p>The maniacal laughter of another monster filled the air as she destroyed several mechanical spheres from the sky—a higher level than the rest. It danced through the air leaving traces of itself, almost like a shadow, and reached her before she had a chance to react. </p>
<p>Amethyst lilac took the hit full on. The Level 2 saw its opening when she flew from the impact and hailed down hit after hit. Some she managed to avoid or kick away. Others hit their mark. None poisoned her though. This thing was toying with her after all. No way was it going to break its brand new toy so soon. Its cackle filled the air with every punch that hit her dead on. </p>
<p>“You’re all weak, all weak! You damn Exorcists are no threat to the Earl!”</p>
<p>She didn’t listen. Her mind focused instead on the different hits that impacted her body. Each left a sensation of burning—not from poison. Definitely not dark matter. But she knew that. The feeling that made her skin tingle and blood boil coiled further and further with every direct hit she took. </p>
<p>“Enough playing around! Die!”</p>
<p>A wide smirk spread across her dainty lips and face. A smirk that belied the front she put on to the world. Innocent and sentimental? Ha! </p>
<p>How laughable. </p>
<p>Amethyst lilac glowed as the coil that wound deep within her finally reached its peak—</p>
<p>And snapped.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> The time will come </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> When you'll have to rise </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Above the best and prove yourself </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Your spirit never dies </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>Fingers grazed the backs of benches as she walked past them, short-heeled boots <em> clacking </em>against the tiled floors of the abbey that remained eerily silent despite her abrupt entrance. </p>
<p>For as much as she boasted her spite for the archdiocese, strolling into their houses was as impolite as it got, to be honest. If she was gonna kick some ass, she wanted to do it outside where it’d be fair and square. Here? They’d be protected. They’d be secure. Out there? Not even their God would save them. </p>
<p>But what matter did a little inconvenience have when she would get to see the look on their faces when they saw her in their sacred house?</p>
<p>Now <em> that </em> was priceless. </p>
<p>“My, child. What brings you to the house of God?”</p>
<p>Sapphire blue glanced curiously over her shoulder, a defiant smirk painted across her face as she spotted the priest that walked in from some side door of the building. The old man’s expression remained puzzled. One eyebrow raised asking that same question. She chuckled under her breath, saving her breath and brain cells by drawing back the hood that shrouded her instead. Sheer horror spread across the priest’s face in an instant as he crossed himself and uttered in Latin under his breath.</p>
<p>One word caught her ear. </p>
<p><em> Pythonissa. </em> Witch.</p>
<p>How she abhorred that word. But the fear that it instigitated in them all—<em> nothing </em> was sweeter.</p>
<p>Sapphire blue smiled sweetly. </p>
<p>“Sad to break it to you, old man, but I’m not a witch,” she said passively, though with a hint of aggressiveness woven into her tone. As she lifted her arms, what the priest saw finally came to light in the shroud of darkness. Trails of light tainted her skin marking her. They were ephemeral, pulsating with her every heartbeat and inhaling with her every breath, and they were beautiful to her. </p>
<p>To them all, it was a death sentence. </p>
<p>“Your vile lies will not deceive men of God,” he cried out, wooden rosary held tightly in hand as he backed off. Prowling after him, sapphire blue stalked his every step. “Evil flows through your veins. You herald of the beast—it’s spawn incarnate!”</p>
<p>“Blah, blah, blah,” she mocked, moving benches aside with ease to make her way to him as he kept retreating in fear. “Nothing I haven’t heard before. But you’re all wrong. This? It ain’t a curse or darkness or whatever bullshit you want to label it as. Your so-called<em> God </em> gave this to me, y’know?”</p>
<p>“Blasphemy!”</p>
<p>“But it isn’t,” she trailed off. Finally standing before him, she raised her arm where the light concentrated most as a transparent gauntlet took shape over her arm and hand. Chains dangled from it, a faint ghastly blue trailing them. “And you will experience it first hand!”</p>
<p>Just when she raised her hand to bash in his head, her arm stopped. Unwillingly. Sapphire blue glared, not at the frightened priest but at her gauntlet that now restraint her movement. No matter the force, it wouldn’t budge. No matter her intent, her arm would simply tremble from the strength exerted. An exasperated groan escaped her and she rolled her eyes. She knew what this meant. Turning to the rest of the chapel, she called out with a commanding tone for the cowards that were hiding to emerge from wherever they were. </p>
<p>As if having been waiting for her call, several people staggered out of the darkness of the corridors. Their skin sickly, their eyes enlarged. It was a much too recurring scenario to not identify by now. Her tongue clicked at the father’s damned good luck. </p>
<p>She may have broken free from her confines but her greatest power would always remind her of what they were meant to be.</p>
<p>Nothing more than fancy shackles. </p>
<p>“Run, father.” She lifted her hand to conjure up the matching gauntlet on her other hand, the chains falling heavily against the tiles and breaking them on impact. “It’d be a real shame if they got to you before I could.”</p>
<p>“W-What?”</p>
<p>The humans suddenly began to convulse and she grimaced a bit as they tore from their flesh suits and became what they truly were. Nothing but weapons. </p>
<p>Prepared and itching for a fight, she readied her fists, reeled them back—</p>
<p>And sent her chains flying.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> Farewell, I've gone to take my throne above </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> But don't weep for me </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> 'Cause this will be </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> The labor of my love </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> Did I give them right directions? </em>
</p>
<p>Emerald green eyes scanned the open prairie he traversed curiously. It wasn't far from the rendezvous point. He could catch a glimpse of the woods not far from here. As well as the aftermath of a commotion that one little Red had more than certainly already fared through.</p>
<p>The young man doubted himself for a moment, placing a pensive finger on his chin as he held a bound book under his other arm. It was heavy, definitely old and worse for wear, but it still got the job done for him. Lifting it, he opened it with practiced ease, holding it with one arm while skimming through the pages with the other. Whatever his eyes saw in those blank pages told him enough assuming by way he snapped the book shut. </p>
<p>"Surely I must have." </p>
<p>He sounded as confident and careless as he was in nature. A playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he glanced over his shoulder at the remains of an old village he'd passed by. </p>
<p>Poor people. They deserved better than to be slaughtered to feed a sad man's ambition to destroy the world. Though he couldn't arrive in time to save their lives, he luckily had a chance to stop them from feeding into that never ending cycle of grief. </p>
<p>So long as he kept those remnants of souls trapped in his tome, not even the Earl would be able to call upon them. The chains of spells he used to bind his opus wouldn't allow it. But in there they would find no solace. No heaven or hell, as they so eloquently and naively put it. Just limbo. Nevertheless, they would serve a purpose in death. One they would ever hardly would've in life. </p>
<p>As he approached the woods, the heavy sound of footsteps caught his attention. Emerald green peered through the trees and found not far from him a moribund Akuma. It was barely able to walk with its broken legs. It's jaw hung grotesquely. Unhinged and bleeding. His torso and limbs were littered with bullet holes.</p>
<p>
  <em> Guess Red didn't quite finish the job. </em>
</p>
<p>He sighed but smiled. Even if she hadn't, he was there now to pick up her slack and get her out of trouble. Just like old times.</p>
<p>He opened his tome, it's pages shining a soft golden hue—</p>
<p>And recited.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> Here we are, don't turn away now </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> We are the warriors that built this town </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Here we are, don't turn away now, </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> We are the warriors that built this town </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sapphire blue wiped at her sleeves to cleanse them of off dust. Putrid church being destroyed was the best of a shitty situation, honestly. The worst being her somewhat tattered clothes and wasted time. Her gaze panned up towards the clearing that gave way after a few minutes of walking into the forest nearby. Opposite from her, a very familiar and lithe figure slipped through foliage towards her.</p>
<p>Amethyst lilac met with sapphire blue and smiled instantly. </p>
<p>"Zara!" Sapphire blue gave a nonchalant wave as the much smaller girl rushed to stand before her. </p>
<p>"Hey, Lena." A small scoff escaped her lips at the soot and dirt sullying that fancy uniform of hers. "Ran into trouble?"</p>
<p>Lenalee took a minute to assess the damages before giving the faintest of sneers. "They're the most troublesome in the worst of times."</p>
<p>Zara chuckled indignantly, brushing off a few specks of ashes from her own shoulders. "Ain't that the truth."</p>
<p>"Lily, Zar, what a pleasant surprise to find you here!"</p>
<p>Both turned at the teasing tone of emerald green's voice as he gingerly made his way to meet up with them. Lenalee chuckled and shook her head dismissively already knowing his games. Zara didn't keep her smidge of annoyance quiet and spun to jeer with a hand poised on her hips. </p>
<p>"You told us to meet here, you moron."</p>
<p>"Ah, did I?" </p>
<p>Lenalee promptly intervened before Zara could rip off his head. "You're the only one here, Klaus?"</p>
<p>Klaus glanced around, scoping out the area as he shifted the weight of his bound tome under one arm. "Red should've been here already if I'm not mistaken."</p>
<p>Sapphire blue and amethyst lilac blinked in equal amounts of surprise, staring at each other briefly. "She was?" they questioned in unison. The two searched the clearing but found no traces of their comrade other than the mess of a fight she'd surely left behind in her wake. </p>
<p>"Over here."</p>
<p>Lenalee and Zara looked down to the small voice that came from behind Klaus. With a teasing smirk on his lips, he cleared his throat before brushing away his cloak to reveal the small child that hid between it. </p>
<p>A very <em> familiar-looking </em>child.</p>
<p>Zara and Lenalee both crouched down to meet those ruby red doe eyes. Zara sighed shaking her head in resignation while Lenalee simply let out a hefty sigh of relief. </p>
<p>"It's still a bit baffling, Ruby," Lenalee said, her gaze kind towards the small child. "Seeing you like this."</p>
<p>Zara reached out to ruffle the short strands of brunette while saying, "It’s more cute than anything seeing ya like this, Rue."</p>
<p>"It's not cute." Ruby slapped away Zara's hand with a dismissive hand before it even reached her head. Apathetic eyes looked over her shoulder before she hauled from behind Klaus her mechanical suitcase that was now a little too heavy for her childlike body. "It's inconvenient."</p>
<p>"Certainly is." Ruby grumbled the instant Klaus's hand engulfed her head with the pat he gave it, her expression barely discernible as a scowl. "But a chatty toddler is better than a crying baby, in my opinion."</p>
<p>Ruby's cheeks flushed red, matching her dark carmine eyes as she shook her head to shake off his hand. "Don't remind me."</p>
<p>"Were you able to get it?" Lenalee being the only one on par with their original quest promptly reminded Ruby who perked a bit without losing that indifferent expression of hers. </p>
<p>Rummaging through the oversized pockets of her cloak, her tiny hands produced a marble of purple crystal that shone in the faint light of dusk. The moment all their gazes landed on it, different expressions spread across their faces. Klaus let out a resigned laugh, Zara groaned before dismissing it altogether, and Lenalee gasped quite visibly pleased with the findings.</p>
<p>"Lucky you, Lily," Klaus said. Zara grumbled a mild 'congrats' under her breath as Ruby let the marble slide down into Lenalee's waiting palm. </p>
<p>The moment it touched her hand, the marble shone and dissipated into lilac dust that sank into her skin. A mark glowed then on the backside of her right hand, the faint outline of a purple lily partially colored in—a namesake that once belonged to her a lifetime ago. Her eyes gleamed at the sight of the mark that remained for a few moments before fading and leaving the simple outline behind.</p>
<p>"One less to go for you, Lilian," Ruby said softly, her voice a tiny bit more hopeful than it ever did. </p>
<p>"And who knows how many more," Lenalee retorted but smiled back nonetheless with gratitude. </p>
<p>"I wouldn't complain if I were you." Zara pointed behind her, surely at her back where right between her shoulder blades lay the faint outline of a blue wolf's bane. "You and Klaus have found <em> some </em> at least."</p>
<p>Klaus rubbed at his chest were right above his heart lay etched the somewhat colored-in outline of a green orchid. "We'll find yours too, Zara. Have some patience."</p>
<p>"Next time you say that to me, I'll bash your pretty face, teeth and all."</p>
<p>Idly standing by, Ruby didn't give any input to the conversation despite her own, an outline of a red spider lily, being just as devoid of color as Zara’s. It always seemed odd to her though fitting all the same. A chance to bring change to this new world—one so different from their own—not through war nor allegiances, but through each other by collecting hope that would propel them beyond. </p>
<p>Hope that would change them from horsemen of its destruction into the saviors it needed.</p>
<p>
  <em> It must.  </em>
</p>
<p>“Ah.” </p>
<p>All three girls looked up to Klaus at the sudden perk of his voice but stopped short of asking what was wrong when his eyes clouded over with strange yet familiar hue of gold. He closed them briefly as if taking in what they showed him behind his eyelids before chuckling to himself and turning to them. </p>
<p>“Well, ladies, it appears we have our work cut out for us.”</p>
<p>“Another one?” Ruby asked. </p>
<p>Klaus only answered by raising his hand and raising for fingers. Zara and Lenalee both sighed audibly while Ruby merely averted her gaze to the side pensively. Four, huh. Compared to the single ones they’ve been getting, this was a development. Ruby red eyes turned towards the horizon where smoke rose into the night sky before a question popped into her head. </p>
<p>“Do you think Adam will send more akuma after us?”</p>
<p>The joyful mood shattered instantly. Sometimes it amazed them how she could do that so easily without seemingly trying at all. Despite Zara and Lenalee not wanting to answer, Klaus beat them to the punch while smiling a crooked grin at the child Ruby. </p>
<p>“Who knows? Maybe he’ll send the Noah this time around. But it’s not like it’ll make a difference.” Walking up and taking her by surprise, Klaus picked her up under her arms to hoist her over his shoulders. Ruby started to complain but when she remembered it’d be pointless to do so against him, she simply got comfortable and settled down. It was infinitely better than walking with her short legs anyway. Bending down, Klaus picked her suitcase before turning to Zara and Lenalee. “We’ll be together to beat them back like we’ve done so far.”</p>
<p>“Damn straight,” Zara retorted with a feral grin.</p>
<p>Lenalee nodded with a gentle smile tugging at her lips. “Undoubtedly.”</p>
<p>The grumbling of Ruby’s stomach interrupted them then and she laid her chin against Klaus’s head to hide her embarrassment. </p>
<p>“Hungry.”</p>
<p>Klaus let out a deep laughter that echoed through the empty forest before hopping in place and perking up Ruby from her place. </p>
<p>“It is suppertime. We shouldn’t hinder a growing girl, either.” Turning on his heels, Klaus began walking towards the path that would take them to the next town over with Lenalee and Zara at either side and a disgruntled Ruby on his shoulders.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> From dust. </em>
</p>
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